The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-09-03
a little in everything is nothing com.

posted somewhere, and it should be
with one consent, that in a body corpo-
rate we place it at the head rather than at
the foot. The missionary work in the
modern sense Of its "true inwardness."
and as the forerunner of progressive
thought and grand ideas, carries with it
more loving compulsions of interest
than any other, and is destined to reap
golden hsrvests in the near and far fu-
ture In comparison with which the wealth
OF this world must be counted as
dross. But as yet, our missionary work
vibstes in the midst of SO many contin-
gencies, and is relatively affected by so
many conflicting interests and ideas of
the winning and losing sort, that after
long and varied experience, 1 feel to COM
NIT myself freely and fully to a wisely
graduated scale Of Centralized power" in
the doing of it.
Venturing few additional hints on
this point would say, the occasions are
rare now, when great and worthy enter
prises resolve themselves SO generally
into organized bodies for special work,
that the individual, except in the active
financial departments of life, can force
his way and hold the needful tension of
purpose to successful issues. Quite gen.
orally in intellectual, moral and religious
movements it is necessity of the times
that he must push his enterprise with
such help as may be found at hand, that
full often foreshadows it with doubt, and
battles and defeats it in the end.
Such enterprises must pose upon the
average status OF community life, all of
which with all their virtues, have more or
less OF "incocted crudities," fugacious
sentiments and instability of moral and
religious convictions, so that the cause in
hand may find foundations, or "vanish
like the baseless fabric of vision"
Times have Greatly Changed
since the Fathers in our Israel fought so
nobly their good fight of faith, as it were
single-handed and alone; and 1 have come
to have but little faith in the roustabout
missionary work of the present day. Vol
unteer scouts are of but little use in the
midst of armies unless directed by their
respective heads. The Mosss's, the Eli
Jahs and the Luthers have had their days
when one could put Thousand, and two
ten Thousand to flight, and glory crowned
II
them all. But in these days of vor pop
utS Uor Dei, the rythmical all resounding
voice of the people calls out grand army
divisions for the battles in which leaders
must serve instead of rule, and strew the
iaurels OF victory at the feet of ell the
brave and true. Mammon, whose sinews
OF strength are tethered to all the many.
sided affairs of the worlds busy life, now
pushes forward its grandest enterprises
by corporations and syndicstes, rather
than by singte-hended might of greed for
gold and power, to which kings and
mlghtiest potentates of earth mast bend
the supple knee.
In Like Manner,
the moral and religious plans of work in
the present day must not be launched in
feebleness, nor presented too frequently
IN mere bagatelle efforts as of q race OF
dwarfs, but as from men OF thought and
action. that show the right front of bat
tie, and reserved force that will come like
giants to the rescue in every time Of
need.
Such are the demands and tendencies
OF the age, ard to ignore them is fatal to
every department of our Christian work.
Hence the missionary work of our State
Conventions, and all auxiliary organize
lions for that purpose should come under
the special supervision and control of the
General Convention in order to gain the
greatest success. In theory we call it the
head OF our religious body. Let it be SO
in fact; for good head set squarely and
compactly on the shoulders of a body
will have more vital and perfect control
OF it; otherwise, if not fraudulent men,
Der OF the body, it is useless, and might as
we'll be off as on. The vital principle of
perfect organization is, that the greater
shall include the lesser" Reject this
principle, which renders all the parts of
an organism constituent whole, and dis
Indignation of the units will sooner or
later force vitality to the lowest ebb.
1t Is idle-nay, more-it is foolish to
kick against the pricks of this principle
that in these stirring times is crowding
the units of individual forces into the
most compact, comprehensive and effec.
tive methods of united action. To ig-
more these facts, is but to obstinately hold
our ideals in little less than total eclipse,
and in vain regrets betake ourselves to
the task of musing upon the fact that
The best laid schemes of men and mice,
Gang aft aglee."
w. q. Brooks.